Some migrant Muslim workers at a bakery shop in Pune were allegedly forced to do sit-ups publicly by members of a local Ganesh Mandal after they denied to pay donation for the upcoming Ganesh festival.

Now,
a video of the same incident, occurred on August 15, has
made
its way to the internet and
it
has also gone
viral.

In
Focus

Post the incident,
some of the workers have left for their home state. Three accused
have already been booked in the case, as per Pune police officials.

The incident took place after the accused who were later identified
as Prakash Landage (30), Ganesh Landage (30) and Mahesh Mare (31)
demanded donation of Rs.151 from the migrant workers in the name of
Ganesh festival. But, the workers, who are non-Maharashtrians
basically, refused to give the donation since the owner of the shop
was also not there.

However, the denial did not go down well with the accused who
allegedly humiliated the workers and made them to do sit-ups publicly
as a punishment.

A complaint was later filed by the workers and a case under IPC
sections 294 (obscene act or words in public), 341 (wrongful
confinement), 385 (extortion) and 506 (criminal intimidation) was
registered.

Reportedly, Mahesh Swamy, the Assistant Police Inspector said, "The
complainants told us how they were threatened and humiliated."

As per a report in The Indian Express, the victims have quit their
jobs at the bakery and new recruits have taken their place. "We
have no clue about their whereabouts. They could have left Pune,"
said one of the new recruits.

The bakery owner refused to say anything on the incident, "The
matter has ended… we don't want to prolong the issue."

The city police was informed that while three to four youths had left
for their village in UP, the others are not reporting to the work out
of fear.